Summer Love
by BlackMagicalCat
Summary: Ses remembers that night with Calydor so many years ago... One Shot


**A/N:** I reread the series and wondered what Ses remembered of meeting Calydor that night. What she /didn't/ tell the herd at the end of SoSS. So I came up with this little one-shot story, making up a name for Ses' friend. Enjoy!

**Disclamer:** I am and never will be, unless I become magical which I swear I won't, Merideth Ann Pierce. She owns Jan and Ses and Calydor and all the wonderful rest of the characters in FT.

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My friend had left the herd and I was determined to find her and bring her back. I was young and foolish, not knowing that the tales of Renegades were nothing but old mare tales. I was afraid for her, afraid that she would no longer be a unicorn and that I would never see her again. That summer, I traveled with my band to the Summer Sea to pledge to my love, Korr. I decided I would have to slip away at night to search for Lai.

We traveled to the beach, without injury or worry. I stood beside Korr, my poppy mane mixing with his black, as we parlied with the herons as we did every year. My thoughts elsewhere, I scarce heard as the herons wished us well and Korr wished them well also. We feasted that day on the salty marsh grass, talking to our shoulder-friends, occassionally looking at the opposite gender before bursting into laughter.

How young we were, how I wish I enjoyed those early summer days more but my mind was on Lai and how I was going to find her. I finally decided to slip away when the moon was gone, hoping to not be found. Keeping my ears pricked for Renegades and scenting the wind for pards, I left the beach and returned to the Plains as I had been doing for a few days now.

Suddenly, a cry came from the darkness. A Renegade! My heart thumping wildly, I bugled a cry of my own and met the stranger, fighting. Rearing, I thrust my hooves at the dark unicorn, before dropping to all fours and slashing my horn. He broke away from me and I sprang back also, snorting, horn ready to attack if needed.

(Quote from book) "Stand off! Stand off, wild Renedgade," I called, "I seek no enmity with you, but I am warrior born and versed and can defend myself at need." I stood there, panting and a bit stunned. I couldn't believe a Renegade was so close to the Summer Sea.

(Quote from book) "I cry your pardon. I mistook you for...a friend and meant no harm," the Renegade called back. I paused, eyeing him.

(Quote from book) "I, too, seek...a certain friend," I paused, unsure as to how much I should tell this star covered stallion, "Perhaps you have news of her." I pawed the ground before telling the strange unicorn about Lai, about how she had simply disappeared one day and how I was looking for her, to convince her to return and how I had been leaving my herd everynight to search for her.

I left him after he promised to search for Lai and returned to the beach. The day passed and I slipped away again, to meet the Renegade.

"Have you found her?" I asked the first night.

"Nay, nothing," the star covered unicorn said, shaking his head. I was a little disappointed but came back again and again, asking the same question every night. I was still hopeful I would find Lai, or Calydor, for he had told me his name, would find her. Eventually, we began to tell each other about our people's ways, and I learned about the Renegades. About how they really weren't Renegades but how many of them chose to live on the Plains, free. Many of them had never even been part of the Vale. Soon, I must admit, I grew eager for night to fall. I put away the nagging thought I was being disloyal to my mate to be, Korr, by meeting Calydor night after night. I even allowed myself to think maybe I wasn't seeing him for information anymore.

"Ses!" Calydor came up to me as I left the beach, "Ses, I think I have found Lai!" I stared at him for a moment before I realized what he had said.

"Are you sure Calydor?" I blinked a couple times.

"Aye, there is going to be a Gather," Calydor said, looking as excited as a colt who has found a rueberry bush, "She'll more than likely be there!" I rememberd that a Gather was when the Plains dwellers danced together when they wanted. Excited, Calydor and I struck off across the Plain, thoughts of the Vale and my true love Korr gone from my mind. As dusk touched the sky, we reached the celebrants. Searching amongst the unicorns I spotted Lai's fiery orange coat and cantered to her.

"Lai!" I gasped.

"Hello!" Lai said. I believe she mistook me for a Renegade, so long ago did she leave the Vale.

"Lai, it's me, Ses!" I said. Lai's green eyes grew round and wide.

"Ses? What are you doing here?" she asked as the unicorns broke away, walking around us.

"Lai, come back with me," I said, "Come to the Summer Sea with me. Return to the Vale."

Lai snorted, "Nay."

"What do you mean nay?" I cried.

"Nay. It's exactly what I mean Ses. I'll not return there. It's so much better here," She said.

"But Lai..." I was at a loss of words.

"Ses, stay here. Leave the Vale," She said, turning it around on to me.

"What? Leave the Vale? Leave Korr? I couldn't do that Lai. You know that," I said.

"Then why are you wandering the Plains with Calydor over there?" Lai said, her voice growing hard.

"Never mind that. Come back to the Vale!" I cried.

"Nay," Lai said before pushing past me to disappear in the growing flow of dancers.

Calydor came up to me, he had apparently heard my argument and told me the thing that I thought would take me from the Vale forever.

"Ses, I must tell you this," He said, his voice a little shaky like a young colt with a crush, "I love you Ses. Ever since I dreamed you in a dream. I have loved you." I looked up at him as the dancers danced their strange dance around us.

"I love you too Calydor," I whispered, realizing it was true as it slipped from my lips.

"Let us dance," he said and I followed him as we wove and cavorted, following and leading, going with the flow of the other unicorns. I was in a bit of a daze, after having lost my shoulder-friend and after having been told by a Renegade he loved me. We danced the Longdance and broke away like other pairs of unicorns, chasing each other like a colt and filly. My thoughts were gone, I followed no laws, no kings, no queens, nothing but my heart. And as we danced the Longdance with only each other, to the very end, I knew this was right.

Dawn broke, shattering my dream and I realized I had to return to the shore before I was missed. I could not stay with Calydor. I was unable to do that. I had something else I had to do before I could return to the Plains again. I shook with sorrow, saying my good byes to Calydor explaining that in the Vale, we took a mate for life. I had cast that away to be with Calydor. I think he understood that I had to leave, but he didn't truly understand why. I don't think he did until he learned who my son was, what I had to do before I returned to the Plains. As I left, I know Calydor watched me. But I also knew that we would be together I again one day.

I pledged myself to Korr but I felt a little ashamed that I never told him. Not even when his madness killed half the herd. Now I have cast away the Vale once again and dance the Longdance to the end with Calydor, my first and true love.


End file.
